On Tuesday, The Intercept reported that documents reveal a "brutal power struggle" at the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General — the watchdog agency in charge of policing misconduct at several key agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secret Service.
This position was critically important in light of a number of policies Trump enacted through DHS, including the "zero-tolerance" family separation policy and the use of federal law enforcement to suppress protests in Portland, Oregon.
"The investigation, launched in May 2020, focuses on a senior official who brought down the agency's leader — and its morale along with it," wrote Ken Klippenstein. "In one striking illustration of the civil war within the agency, the investigation describes a senior official saying of the agency's top official, then acting Inspector General John V. Kelly, in an email: 'Perhaps Arya would consider taking care of some business here? The DHS OIG throne isn't as glam but we do have a night king that just. won't. die.' (The 'Night King' is one of the 'Game of Thrones' series' antagonists; he leads an army of undead bent on conquering the planet.)"
The official behind this email was reportedly Jennifer Costello, the then second-in-command at the agency.
"The infighting did not disappear with Kelly, who would soon be replaced by Joseph V. Cuffari, a longtime investigator who spent over 20 years at the Department of Justice," continued the report. "Though Cuffari was appointed by former President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in July 2019, Cuffari has conducted investigations into controversial Trump policies like family separation and sending DHS personnel to respond to protests in Portland. Nonetheless, Costello turned her attention to Cuffari after his nomination, filing multiple misconduct allegations against him within the first few months of his appointment."
"By February 2020, Costello herself was put on administrative leave for alleged ethical misconduct; on June 11, DHS OIG notified Congress that she was no longer employed at the agency," noted the report.
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